Flash gun



April 12, 1932. uw 1,853,172

FLASH GUN Filed OOt. 21, 1950 IIIIIIL\\\W\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ IN V EN TOR. Hermqa CL/ldlffll //6 By flan/Mi ATTORNEY Paten ted, Apr. 12, 1932.

l *Unirsn s re-res Parser orsion; Y

HERMAN'NEUWIRTH, .or NEW YORK, N. Y.

This

FLASH. GUN

npplicationfiled October 21, 1930. Serial No. 490,109.

invention relates to photographic ac structu facture 15 degree re, and which shall be cheap to manuand practical and eflicient to a high in use.

Other objectsof the invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consistsin the 33 feature 5 of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction herein after described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accomp'anyingdrawings, inwhich is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of thisinvention,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a flash gun constructed to embody the invention with the gun hammer shown in retracted position ready t ohave the priming cartridge inserted in the'retaining means or holder, a portion of the handle being broken J hammer I actuating spring.

Fig. view, c

away to show the 2 is agfragmentary cross-sectional orresponding to Fig. 1, showingthe construction of the'improved means for re- A taining the priming cartridge. p I fF 1g. 3 1s a fragmentary cross-sectional View similar to Fig.2, but showing the priming cartridge infiring position.

' lines 4-4 in Fig.2.

Figs. 5 and 6 are top and side elevational 4- is a cross-sectional view taken on views, respectively, on a modified construc- Fig.

l "50 taken 0 the improved priming cartridge remeans, and I V g 7 is a cross-sectionalview of a out 11 line 77 in Fig. 6.

light powder (not shown).

' 'Referrin in detail to the drawings, 10 denotes a flash gun for igniting flashlight powders for producing artificial light for photographic purposes constructed to embody the invention. Said flash gun 10 is'seen K to comprise a hollow handle 11, which as here shown, consists of a tube having a suit able closure plug 12 screwed into one end 11a thereof. The otherend 11b of said tube is-internally threaded for receiving aprojectedscrew plug end portion 13a of a 0-. shaped anvil member 13 mounted to terminate the other end 116 of the handle, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. An L-shaped slot 110 is provided in the handle 11 inwardly from the end 116 and above the middle of piece or trigger 14. I

The trigger 14 extends out inwardlyfrom aplunger 15 which is mounted for limited reciprocating I and revolving movement within the tube 1 1. Said plunger 15 carries a hammer rod 16 having a pointed head end 16a which extends up through the screwplug portion 13a of the member 13i The other end 165 of said rod may be extended through and beyond the plunger 15 to provide a 'seat for the upper end of a coil compression spring 17 housed within the handle between the plunger 15 and the closure plug 12 as is clearly shown in Fig. 1.. The horizontally extending portion ofthe slot 110 may include a notchlld for releasably looking the. trigger 14 for retaining the plunger 15 andthe hammer 16 inretracted position L against the action ofthe spring 17 The C shaped member 13 includes besides the plug end portion 13a,,a channel midsaid handle through which extends a'finger portion13b and-a relatively flat upper portion130. On the latter there is mounted a suitably shapedpan 18 for holding the flash Said pan, 18 may have its bottom side 18a secured to the upper portion 13oinany suitable manner, as

by means of spaced screws 19. In registered alignment with the axis of the hammer rod 16, a passage 20 is provided to extend through the upper portion 13c of the member 13 and the bottom sidelSa of the pan l8. Said passage forms a receptacle holder for seating a conventional type of priming cartridge 21 in firing position. Preferably the passage is made larger in size than the body cartridge 21 so that the latter loosely d fits therein.

Mounted within channel side flanges of the mid-portion 13b of the anvil member 13, an L-shaped spring 22 is secured in any suitable manner by one of its ends, as for exam le, by means of a screw 23. The other en portion of said spring 22 passes up along the anvil member portion 130 and through a slot 1311 provided in the latter, said slot 13d extending through said portion 130 into the passage 20. The end of the spring 22 which extends through the slot 18d, normally vprojects into the passage 20 and terminates to form a detent 22a for frictionally engaging the body of the priming cartridge21 when the latter is inserted into the firing positionin the passage 20, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3.

It should be noted that the spring detent 22a extends in an angular relation with respect to the axis of the passage 20 so as not to impede the insertion of the cartridge, but normally forms a gripping contact which bites into the body of the cartridge and retains same in firing position. A key or knob 24 may be provided on a mid-portion of the spring 22 to facilitate moving the spring for retracting the detent 22 from the passage 20 and'from its engagement with the body of the cartridge 21.

f The'application of this invention will now be apparent.

A- ter the parts have been assembled, as shown in 1 and 2 the cartridge 21 is inserted up into the assage 20 and is retain'ed seated in its firing position by the detent 22a. The flash light powder (not shown) is then placed into the pan 18 over the upper end of the passage 20 and in contact with the ignition end 21a of the cartridge. The gun 10' ma be held in one hand, the trigger 14 turne from its locked position in notch 11d shown in Fig. 1, by the thumb of the user,

and brought in alignment with the vertically extending portion of the slot 110. On releasing the trigger 14, the plunger 15 together with the hammer rod 16 will then be projected upwardly by the action of the coil spring 17 until the pointed end 1601 strikes t e firing end 21'?) of the cartrid e. This will cause the latter to ignite the ash light gowder in the pan 18 and thereby produce a ash'of light for photographic purposes.

Since the cartridge 21 is loosely fitted into the passage 20 simply pressing the key 24:

when the hammer rod is in its retracted position withdraws the detent 2211 from the passage v2O and disengages the same from the body of the spent cartridge 21. Thereupon the latter is released and will drop out of the passage20. A new cartridge can then passage in alignment with be inserted in firing position for further service.

In Figs. 5, 6 and 7 is shown a modified construction of the improved priming cartridge retaining means embodying the invention.

Here as in the construction of the gun 10 described above, the up er portion 130 of the anvil member is provided with the passage 20aligning with the hammer rod, said passage being adapted to receive the priming cartridge (not shown). A lever 122 having one end formed with a fin er piece 124 is suitably pivoted inwardly irom said finger piece, as by means of a pin 123 riveted to extendthrough said upper portion 130. Said lever 122 has its end opposite said finger piece terminated in a detent 122a which freely extends through a slot 113d and into the passage 20, said detent being adapted to engage the priming cartridge inserted in said passage. Suitable spring means, such as a coil spring 125 wound around the pin 123 may be provided to normally force the detent 122a into the passage 20 for engaging the priming cartridge and for holding, said cartridge in firing position when fitted into the passage 20. By simply pressing the finger piece 124, the cartridge is released and dropped out of said passage 20.

Thus, it is seen that the gun 10 can be manipulated' by one hand of the user and the cartridge 21 positively retained in firin position yet being readily removed and rep aced on pressing the key 21, or finger piece 124.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a-device in which the several objects of. this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might made of the above, invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood thatall matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as l illustrative and not in a limitin sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a flash gun to produce artificial light for photographic purposes comprising a firingmechanism having a receptacle adapted to hold a priming cartridge in firing position, a spring detent extending into t e said receptacle to engage said cartridge for retainmg the latter against movement from its firing position, and means for retracting said detent to release said cartridge.

2. In a flash gun to produce artificial light for photographic purposes comprising a C- shaped anvil member having a handle carrying a firing hammer at one end thereof, a flash light powder pan mounted on the other end of said member, said latter end having a said hammer adapted to receive a vpriming cartridge, moveable means -mounted on said member havinga detent portion extending into said passage adapted to engagea cartridge ill-.-

' end of said member, said latter end having a passage in'alignment with said hammer adapted to receive a priming cartridge, a spring having one end secured on a mid-portion of said member, the other end of said spring being extended into the passage adapted to engage the cartridge inserted therein, and means for retractingsaid detent from said passage to disengage said cartridge.

4. A flash gun to produce artificial light for photographic purposes comprising an anvil member having an anvil carrying a hammer at one end thereof and a flash light powder pan mounted on the other end of said member, said latter end having a passage adapted to receive a priming cartridge and having a slot communicating with said pas- I sage, and a spring detent mounted on said member to extend through said slot and into said passage adapted to engage a cartridge inserted therein, said slot extending in angular relation with respect to the passage as and for the purpose described and specified.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. -HERMAN NEUWIRTI-I. 

